Effeminate Lies
by Ri-Ryn
Summary: In which Seidou doesn't quite realize Sawamura's female and said pitcher doesn't really know it either. Feminine wiles? Like Hell. (light Fem!Eijun x all) (Genderbending One-shots) - [Requests Accepted] (Companion Fic to "Joy's Shadow")
1. Strike - Contact Play

**Title:** Effeminate Lies

**Author:** Ri-Ryn

**Genre:** Humor/General

**Word Count:** 1014

**Rating:** M* (Content suitable for Mature Teens) / +T

**Disclaimer:** Diamond no Ace belongs to Yuji Terajima.

**Summary:** In which Seidou doesn't quite realize Sawamura's female and said pitcher doesn't really know it either. Feminine wiles? Like Hell. (light Fem!Eijun x all) (Genderbending One-shots)

**Warnings:** Language/Cursing.

**Chapter:**1 Strike - Contact Play

**A/N:** I adore the idea of Eijun as a female with no self-awareness, period. Not that I'm not a fan of yaoi with Eijun x Seidou or just about any viable baseball player! I do consider any requests I get and some of these oneshots might blossom into actual chapter stories or longer oneshots. This chapter was so awkward to write yet funny, in my opinion. She's surrounded by wolves.

**Music:** "Naruto Ost: Sexiness"

* * *

1 Strike – Contact Play

* * *

Eijun sighed, her binder uncomfortable under her uniform shirt after a day of practice in the heat. She picked at the clips holding it on the outside of her shirt, a frown in place. She'd better take it off before eating and come back to the already full dining hall or she'd be miserable…

"Careful Sawamura or they'll never grow."

Eijun growled, whipping around to see the official catcher for Seidou grinning cheekily, looking to rile her up. "Shut-up bastard Miyuki!"

Miyuki simply shook his head at the pitcher. Too easy. "I bet baseballs beat you. You'll never find a man and you'll live your youthful high school life single."

"I don't want to hear that from_ you_, Mr. Forever Alone!" Eijun hissed.

Miyuki shrugged. "I choose to be. I don't have time for girls, not that they don't chase after me." He finished the statement with a smug grin for emphasis.

Eijun glared before looking down. She didn't want a guy after her solely for her breast size, but… She glared harder. Maybe it did make a little bit of difference? Did size matter, or shape? "Hmm…" Eijun tucked her hands inside her shirt, fishing around a bit to find the straps of her binder and slide them off since she was wearing a sports bra.

Miyuki raised a curious eye brow as Chris walked up, seeing the ensuing fight to happen and hopefully stop it. Why were her arms in her shirt? "Sawamura-" Chris made a strangled noise deep in his throat as Miyuki blushed.

"Indecent tomboy." Miyuki muttered, unable to tear his eyes away.

Eijun grinned, she'd finally undone the binder and now slid it down her pant legs from under her shirt and off, discarding it on the floor before sliding her arms properly back into her uniform sleeves and scrutinizing her breasts again. Eijun stuck her tongue out in thought, moving her hands up to squeeze the now more prominent mounds. They were squishy, and very shapely, but only borderline A into B cup perhaps. She didn't really know. "_I_ think they're nice enough." She squeezed again, rubbing them together in her hands.

The entirety of Seidou's baseball team was frozen, watching as their idiotic pitcher gave a free show surrounded by almost 90 teenage males with minds well acquainted with the gutters of puberty.

Eijun felt tears well up because maybe they weren't up to par. She looked up to the one man who'd been straight with her from the start. The man she respected most on the team. "Chris-senpai…" It should've been a whining, complaining voice but came out more of breathy moan to any boy in the room with the state of their minds. "They're not _that_ disappointing, are they? I mean, their perfectly round if not small. And I can't fit one into _my_ palm, but boys have larger ones, right?" Eijun took a step forward, pouting with the barest of tears in her eyes: distraught.

Chris was also distraught and stepped back as she advanced. Sure, he never gave much thought to dirty magazines or the opposite sex. He didn't have that choice here. "Th-they're?" He choked as she glanced up from damp eye lashes. Eijun was cute, adorable really in the way a tomboy only could with a shaggy pixie cut that framed her face and golden brown eyes that gleamed when she pitched and shown when she smiled.

"They're _what_?"

The little spit-fire could was also a sporadic seductress that could give the sultriest look without ever realizing it. Not that her pitching control wasn't coming around, but really, it was those _eyes_ and that _intense _focus of hers that were truly _dangerous_.

"Chris-senpai?" Eijun fisted her hands into her upperclassman's shirt, drawing close. He would never let her down, he was her senpai. She gazed at him sharply, expectance in her eyes.

Chris swallowed, hands having nowhere to go unless he lost any semblance of control and they found his sweet, **devilish** kohai's petite waist.

The injured catcher choked on the dry tongue fumbling in his mouth for some semblance of human speech that wouldn't be sexual harassment, not that Sawamura would know the difference apparently. "Fine." He mumbled, looking anywhere but her. "You're young, there's still room to grow." He could've smacked his head into the wall for that one. Sure, he gave that advice every time her pitches where lacking, but it sure as hell didn't apply to this situation!

It seemed to appease the first year, though, as she whipped her head around to Miyuki. "Hah, you bastard, take that! Chris-senpai said they can still get bigger!"

Miyuki and Chris both gave way from red to a deeply rooted crimson as they imagined such changes taking place.

Eijun paid no head, taking Miyuki's dismissal of her exclamation as a challenge. "Just you all wait!" She cupped her assets, lifting them through her shirt. "They'll be Cs in no time!"

Kuramochi, a permanent pink, had to laugh at his roommate's idiocy. "Right Sawamura," he kept laughing, "you can do anything if you put your mind to it!"

Eijun cried with relief in her eyes. "You believe in me, Kuramochi-senpai!" She flung herself at her elder, sitting on the dining room bench and finding himself engulfed in the demure peaks.

_**The bastard.**_

Chris quickly reined her back from her unintentional fulfillment of the shortstop's fantasy.

"Sawamura-kun," said pitcher looked to her senpai. "Why don't you go back to your room and come back with…" Chris struggled, "the _appropriate female_ garments on?" Please.

Eijun scratched her head, confused. "I'm wearing a sports bra, though, Chris-senpai. Did you want me to put my binder back on?"

Every pair of unrestrained male eyes, Miyuki and Chris included, found her chest again.

Oh…

_Oh…_

Maybe she _could_ do anything she put her mind to. It wouldn't be the first time she threw them for a loop and proved them wrong after all. This time, she could brag all she wanted even. No one would have the time or mind set to shut her up.


	2. Strikes - Appeal Play

**Author:** Ri-Ryn

**Chapter:** 2 Strikes – Appeal Play

**Word Count:** 955

**Rating:** M* (Content suitable for Mature Teens)/ +T

**Disclaimer:** Diamond no Ace belongs to Yuji Terajima.

**Warnings:** Strong Language/Cursing.

**A/N:** I AM TAKING REQUESTS. *cough* That aside, **silvertwilightgemini **– I am working on your request right now and it's in the works with an oblivious Eijun being hit on and the reactions of Seidou. Also, all the chapter titles are baseball terminology if you're curious.

**A/N #2:** I don't know if baseball players do this, but a lot of sports teams (professional and otherwise) do for some reason, like football. Le "slapping of your teammate's butt" is something I'll never quite understand. Or Eijun, the idiot.

* * *

2 Strikes – Appeal Play

* * *

"Yes, yes, yes!" Eijun jumped up and down from the pitcher's mound, the final score 4-13 in Seidou's favor against Osumairu Industrial: a formerly rising team shut down by a combination of Tanba's pitching followed by Kawakami and Furuya, Eijun entrusted with closing the game in an unusual game call. Said girl watched as teammates, on the field, the dugout and the stands, swarmed her.

She jumped lightly as hands began patting her backside, and it seemed the team had doubled in size if the number of hands were what she was counting by. She grinned, remembering how oddly uncomfortable her old junior high teammates were when she slapped their butts. (And disappointed, because what winning team didn't have _that_ kind of spirit?)

"Ack-!" Eijun grunted as she was pulled from the swarm of males by strong hands behind her. She turned, half expecting that bastard Miyuki to start complaining on her list of 'could've been better', but was surprised to see Haruichi red from head to toe. Ryosuke stood off to the side, a disappointed frown of his face in spite of the win.

Haruichi was Eijun's friend and Ryosuke usually let idiots suffer at the hands of their own naïveté and decisions: harassing unsuspecting girls? He wasn't okay with that. So, even if Eijun was a moron, she was a female one, which meant this was a no-go in his books. Ryosuke glared, eyes the tiniest bit slit open, and the majority of the team (also known as the ones taking advantage of their stupid pitcher) bolted, leaving Eijun alone with the Kominato brothers. He sighed.

"Eh?" Eijun watched in confusion as her teammates ran like Hell, away from her, and turned to Haruichi again. "Harucchi? Why'd you do that?" She tilted her head to the side, her piercing eyes following the replacement second baseman's every move.

Said boy blushed harder before making his reaffirming his decision, he already came to the conclusion he'd protect her. "Eijun-chan."

The pitcher glared, expecting a correction.

Haruichi squirmed, "_Ei-chan_," he corrected, watching her face light like a match and sighing internally. "You…you shouldn't let them _do _that, Ei-chan."

Eijun scrunched her face up in confusion, looking from Haruichi to Ryosuke. "Do what, Harucchi, Nii-san?"

Ryosuke sighed, remembering _why_ he left idiots alone. Because they were insufferable and didn't learn until it bit them in the ass. Problem was, that's _exactly_ what it was doing already. "Letting the team do what they were before, Sawamura-chan."

Eijun felt her jaw tighten, frustration building because this just didn't make any sense to her. "And that is **what** exactly? Congratulating me?"

"N-n-no," Haruichi stuttered, "it was…_how _they did it."

Eijun stuck her tongue out in thought. "You mean when they slapped my ass? I mean, it's not a one way street. I got theirs too, so it's only fair, right?" Haruichi flailed, a brief 'Ei-chan, you're a lady, language!' being shouted as Ryosuke chuckled. Even dumber than a rock, Eijun was the most interesting woman he'd ever laid eyes on or _heard_. Especially heard.

"Yes, that." Ryosuke interrupted his little brothers in vain lesson of etiquette. "They were, a lot of them, taking advantage of you."

Eijun still didn't get it. "How?" She questioned dumbly. She squeezed her hand. Yup, definitely not the reminiscent sensation of a baseball on her hand but instead the firm buttocks muscles of baseball player's through cotton uniforms. She'd _definitely_ returned the favor. "I know I pat them too."

"Yes," Ryosuke stressed, a little uncomfortable now. "But they _liked _it."

"…I did too." Haruichi squeaked in embarrassment. "It makes me feel like a real part of the team. Besides, I know I've seen them give General a quick-"

The elder gave up, cutting in before his brother passed out at the impropriety that was one Sawamura Eijun. "They were **feeling you up**, Sawamura-chan, not congratulating you."

A second or two passed before it clicked. "Oh…" Eijun blushed. "Because I'm a girl?"

Haruichi nodded sadly, knowing this was tearing the girl up. She wanted to really be part of the team, but somehow her gender constantly showed where she was at a disadvantage or how it separated her from the rest of the guys. "Yeah, sorry Ei-chan."

"I see…" Eijun looked at the ground, not angry but the littlest bit empty, isolated because she could never fully integrate herself into the team. "But you said not all of them?" She asked softly.

"Um, I doubt the regulars would do that, Ei-chan." Haruichi smiled comfortingly. "Miyuki, Kuramochi, Jun, Yuuki, Masuko, Kawakami, and Chris-senpai tachi, I'm sure they only mean well."

Eijun smiled a little. "The regulars, huh?" She thought a moment. "Miyauchi-senpai?"

"_**No.**_" Both stressed, panicking. "I don't even want him congratulating _me_," Ryosuke muttered darkly, remembering the one time he'd been caught off guard by the reserve catcher.

"Right, so I wouldn't let the beasts in the stands near your person, Sawamura-chan." Ryosuke smirked, glad the point was across. "We don't want another repeat, do we?"

"Nah." Eijun shook her head. "Thanks for looking out for me, Harucchi, Nii-san!" Eijun shouted her thanks, bowing as Haruichi stuttered that it was just them looking out for her well-being. "Ah!" Eijun remembered what she forgot to do, running to stand in between both boys, curious as to her sudden exclamation.

Regulars were A-Okay according to them and she hadn't had a chance to make her way to them yet.

"Great game, Nii-san, Harucchi!" Eijun slapped the brother's cheeks hard, giving a light squeeze to show her appreciation for their support today. Ryosuke jumped as Haruichi croaked, crimson and looking for any noise to show his surprise and discomfort.

Eijun grinned characteristically, running off towards the field exit, shouting and waving back to her frozen teammates. "Thanks for having my back today, guys!"

She ran, happy with the turn out, and feeling a little closer to the Kominato brothers. They had her back so she would have theirs too.


	3. Strikes - Shutout

**Author:** Ri-Ryn

**Chapter:** 3 Strikes – Shutout

**Word Count:** 1954

**Rating:** M* (Content suitable for Mature Teens)/ +T

**Disclaimer:** Diamond no Ace belongs to Yuji Terajima.

**Warnings:** Strong Language/Cursing.

**A/N:** *Requested by: **silvertwilightgemini** **– **hopefully, this does it justice. Because every sleazebag needs to be taken care of!

**A/N #2:** Next up will be **ShiroSiAnjingPutih**'s request for a bath scene. I'm not quite sure what you want out of it, but I'll try my best and think of something.

* * *

3 Strikes – Shutout

* * *

If there was one way to describe Takahashi Hibiki besides his dashing good looks (because his batting was above decent and pitching average), it was that he was a man seeking to conquer. So, when as a third year he heard about a young spit fire pitching for the school they were facing next? He had to have her. He liked a challenge, no doubt the butch first year of a formally all-male baseball team would be. Hibiki didn't care about personality; he'd already ascertained she wouldn't know how to doll up for his own kicks since she'd chosen to devote the next three years of her life to a _sport's team_. She was rare; she was pure and innocent guaranteed.

Hibiki grinned, letting his tongue swipe his lips in anticipation. He bet she was _**easy**_ and _**fun**_ in a 'novelty' sort of way.

* * *

0-0-0-0-0-0-0

* * *

Hibiki kept his face cool as they lined up and bowed at the game end in their loss. It was fine, though, he had other more _delicate_ priorities to attend to. He eyed the back-up pitcher #18, Sawamura Eijun. He'd wrinkled his nose in disgust as the masculine name initially until he heard her teammates call her 'Ei-chan.' Now that? That he could get behind as 'Ei-chan' found herself moaning and writhing in an inexperienced deed of pleasurable amusement under his body later. She wasn't half-bad, either, at 5' 9" and a slim body to fit. Her chest could use some work, but her face was a natural one, easy to look at but nothing to remember in his humble opinion.

Hibiki made his move as they started returning to their dug outs, finding her standing next to a short pink haired boy he vaguely recalled as a pinch hitter and the other battery formation of Furuya and Miyuki. He had nothing to worry about for the former two, getting his plan around their shrewd catcher would take a bit of work since the prey in question was dumber than rock. Still, better than some of his other bang trophies he collected in the past.

"Hello, Sawamura-san?" He offered a refreshing smile as Sawamura turned her attention to him, Miyuki narrowing his eyes at his approach. Ah, so the catcher wasn't a blind eye to his exploits. "Right?" He prompted.

Eijun nodded slowly, remembering the boy before her as a lack luster pitcher from the match beforehand. "Yeah," she said, unsure. "Did you need something…?"

"Takahashi." He offered his hand in a western greeting which she took, shivering because his hand was cool; something it wouldn't be if he'd tried his hardest. "Takahashi Hibiki."

"Takahashi-san." She filled in.

"That's alright." Hibiki winked 'good naturedly' in her direction as Miyuki looked on in pure distaste. "Hibiki is fine."

This guy was hell in a wrapped hand-basket. Miyuki gestured the younger Kominato brother over, also sporting a look of disgust at such blatant, impure intent. "Go call Tanba-san and Kawakami over, okay? This guy is bad news. And tell Chris-senpai that a 'Takahashi Hibiki' is trying to rob his protégé's cradle." The first string catcher spoke soft, quick, and subtly to not attract the filth's attention from _**their**_ pitcher.

Haruichi nodded. "Do you want me to call Nii-san over?"

Miyuki smiled ever so slightly. "No, not yet. Tell Ryosuke-senpai that he needs to talk with Igusa's pitch alone later on, maybe let Chris-senpai and Kuramochi tag along? I'll hold the bus for their group bathroom break."

Haruichi nodded, pleased with the outcome before darting off. Miyuki clicked his tongue in anger because damn it, Takahashi moved _fast_ and wasn't the male competency counterpart to Sawamura. He was _good_. Seidou and Miyuki himself (it wasn't overestimation either) were just **better**.

"So…!" Miyuki grinned maliciously, ready to set his counter attack up. "Not bad, Takahashi-senpai. You've got good control, better than Sawamura-chan here."

He ignored the indignant cries of 'Bastard Miyuki, whose side are you on!? And who the _Hell_ is Sawamura-_chan_?' Miyuki watched pleased before the tables turned, Hibiki handling it easily.

"No, I really think Sawamura-chan here is something_ special_. A diamond in the rough." Hibiki smiled at the blushing pitcher before delivering his next line, clearly intending it for Miyuki. "And _everyone_ covets diamonds, so much they just want to run their _hands_ down them with a _kiss _or two, perhaps."

"I'm not _that _great." Eijun replied with an immodest blush, misunderstanding the tangent of the conversation entirely.

Hibiki gauged Miyuki reaction carefully. "No, you _are_."

Miyuki felt like gagging. Yes, he was a self-aware bastard with a penchant for being a teasing little shit when he damn well felt like it. He wasn't, however, a horny pervert looking to rut with any 'piece of meat' that caught his attention. Miyuki was an ass, not a poor excuse for a human being. There was no way Takahashi was laying a hand on their angelic, loud mouthed pitcher- tonight or any night. If things worked out, Mr. 'Hibiki is fine' wouldn't be seeing the light of day ever again after this little stint.

He grinned, feeling Kawakami and Tanba come up behind him, aware of the Igusa student's reputation. "Well, true. But she has a ways to go." Kawakami quietly placed himself between Hibiki and Eijun, laying a hand on her shoulder to not interrupt a conversation between 'Senpai.' Hibiki glared.

"Bu…but Kawakami-_senpai_…" Eijun whined, enjoying the praise because it certainly never came from _her _team. The first time she meets a nice boy who realizes her potential and THE _bastard_ of Seidou _had_ to shoot his opinion full of holes, really? Kawakami shushed her.

"Yes," Tanba piped up, eyeing the enemy and seeing where Miyuki was going with this. "I found that sidearm of yours interesting. Not too polished, but not bad. Is it new?"

Hibiki was ready to retort until Kawakami cut in. "I'm a sidearm pitcher, too. Perhaps I can give you a tip or two, Senpai."

"Oi, what about me?" Eijun pouted.

"Yes, I believe I was having a conversation, a long one, with her alone." Hibiki made to move closer to Eijun, stopping when Tanba clutched his shoulder in a vice grip with one hand.

"We're all fellow pitchers here, though. Isn't that right Furuya?" The Hokkaido native simply nodded, not too concerned one way or another with the life decisions of his rival as long as they didn't affect her pitching.

"That's right, as a catcher especially, you interest me." Miyuki walked up, adding himself to be body barrier number two between Eijun and the sleaze bag. He swung his arm around the other's shoulder, yanking him close and tightening his grip. Hibiki grit his teeth, glaring as the _pressure_ _around his throat_ tightened.

"Hey, I wanna' hear more about what he thought of my pitching." Eijun stomped her foot, having had enough. She angrily made her way to a sheepish Miyuki and stole Igusa's pitcher back. She tightly clutched his arm to her chest and Miyuki didn't miss the way the other's eyes narrowed in anticipation.

_Oh __**Hell**__ no…_ Miyuki brought himself up, ready to start a more physical fight before catching sight of the final shut out behind the 'couple.'

"Before that, Sawamura-chan, let me discuss with Miyuki and you, specifically you, what you two did wrong, shall we?" And like a naughty kitten, hands and legs dangling while being lifted six inches off the ground by the scruff of her uniform, Eijun found herself in the capable hands of Chris and being carried away without enough time to complain. (And it was Chris-senpai, what complaints could she possibly voice?) Miyuki followed after, a suspicious lightness to his gait as he turned his head, enough to catch the eye of Hibiki and gave the other a shit-eating grin.

Hibiki's eyes burned holes into the backs of Seidou's catcher and manager. This wasn't over…

* * *

0-0-0-0-0-0-0

* * *

Eijun stewed on the bus, glaring daggers at everybody who tried to talk much less sit with her while they waited for her seniors to return from the bathroom. Sure, she got one compliment today before Miyuki and every other damn pitcher made themselves a nuisance. Plus, she was scolded _terribly_ by her beloved Chris-senpai, who was angrier than usual.

_Today sucked, even if we won._ Eijun saw out the corner of her eye as Nii-san, Kuramochi, and Chris-senpai finally returned, the injured catcher looking decidedly refreshed after the bathroom break that she couldn't bring herself to say anything as he sat himself down in the seat beside her. _Must've been quite the load he had to get out_, she mused absently about their break.

"Sawamura-chan."

Eijun nearly jumped, head whipping to her senpai in excitement before recalling her anger from before and glaring a little bit. What she _didn't_ expect was for Chris to smile softly, hand reaching down to fondly ruffle her already tousled hair, and with the nicest, sincerest voice-

"_Nice game._"

Eijun blushed head to toe, head forgoing any and all memories of that day other than '_**He praised me**_.'

Miyuki sourly glared from the seat behind. He could just _see_ the hearts radiating from her. And really? He _himself_ was still in bad graces with their idiot pitcher while it took Chris-senpai _two words_ to worm his way back into good standings.

He grinned softly. Well, all's well that ends well. He looked back behind him, seeing Kuramochi and Ryosuke-san sitting catty corner to him both give a nod in confirmation, Takahashi Hibiki no longer a concern or thought to Eijun, much less a danger.

'_Nice game?'_ Nah, that wasn't quite accurate. He gave a thumbs-up, mouthing a 'Well played.'

* * *

0-0-0-0-0-0-0

**Omake:**

0-0-0-0-0-0-0

* * *

"Chris-senpai!"

The third year turned, watching as his loud mouth pitcher skidded to a halt, arms loaded with what seemed to be a haul of anything from fruits to water and more.

He quirked an eyebrow, prompting her to continue.

"I noticed your stomach wasn't doing too hot. I know what it's like when the pipes are a little stuffed up, ya' know?"

Chris really should've paid more attention to the fact they were in the full dining hall, now silent, and that anything concerning Sawamura wouldn't end so easily.

He finally graced the groceries with more than a cursory glance…

_Cranberries, tea, Apple Cider vinegar, cucumbers, a _watermelon, _Juniper, Buchu…_ Chris felt it click, head whipping up to stop her but it was to late

"This way you won't struggle so much in the bathroom next time you have to take care of business, Chris-senpai! I called Oji-chan up and asked him about natural diuretics so you won't be uncomfortable since, ya' know, being old and all it happens to him too!"

Well, he could either tell her that no, his stomach condition was just fine and he was in no need of _assistance_; he had just done something undeniably illegal to a another earlier that involved physical and mental harm or…

Chris smiled with the grace of a Saint as if his kouhai hadn't just gave him anti-diarrhea remedies in front of the entire team without remorse, brimming all sunshine and daisies and no sense for secrecy or shame. "Thank-you, Sawamura-chan."

Somewhere, vaguely, he heard the first laugh before the rest followed suit, Eijun confused why anyone would laugh at someone feeling ill.

He'd have to ask if Miyuki's roommates wouldn't mind trading rooms with him for the night so he could teach the little shit a lesson in actual humility.

"That was very thoughtful of you to do this for me, though perhaps you could hand me such items in private next time? Your concern is duly noted."

Eijun nodded vigorously (Chris wondering absently if it gave her whiplash.), happy to be helpful.


	4. Strikes - Count

**Author:** Ri-Ryn

**Chapter:** 4 Strikes – Count

**Word Count:** 1132

**Rating:** M* (Content suitable for Mature Teens)/ +T

**Disclaimer:** Diamond no Ace belongs to Yuji Terajima.

**Warnings:** Strong Language/Cursing. Jealous Miyuki.

**A/N:** For **ShiroSiAnjingPutih**, well… I'm not even sure how to describe this? It was your personal request mixed with my personal fantasies of Eijun having a thing for her captain and for some strange reason I ship Kawakami x Eijun (hard, harder than the boner I wish those two would pop for each other.) Sigh. That adds him to my list of Eijun "beaus" : Yuuki, Chris-senpai, Miyuki, Kuramochi, Harucchi, Raichi, Sanada… *coughs*

**A/N #2:** Just to avoid confusion, I'll specify which drabbles are connected to each other, so don't be confused if I, for example, in one story say Eijun's well-endowed while in another she's flatter than the USA's salt flats, 'kay?

**A/N #3:** Sorry for taking so long, I started college and I'm utterly swamped!

* * *

4 Strikes – Count

* * *

"You did well tonight, Nori. A little bit more and we'll be able to unban the sinker for good." Miyuki was highly pleased with the progress of their sidearm pitcher.

Kawakami smiled slightly before it turned to confusion, Miyuki following his line of site towards the baths and seeing both the younger Kominato and Kuramochi sitting outside.

"What's the hold up?" Miyuki called, catching their attention.

Haruichi gave a small, defeated smile. "Ei-chan's in the bath right now."

"And Ryo-san forget his bathing stuff, so he sent me and Kominato to fetch it," Kuramochi added.

Miyuki grinned, all former plans going to hell. "Ah? What's this, an excuse? I could've sworn I was seeing a friend looking for more and a perverted senpai who can't get enough?"

Haruichi went red as Kuramochi spluttered, "I-idiot! Don't say things that'll give people the wrong idea!"

Miyuki snickered and Kawakami couldn't even begin to fathom if it should be legal to pit something as evil as their catcher against opposing teams.

The boys froze, hearing the normally loud voice of Sawamura echo out from the baths. "No way, I'm soaking right now, Wataru… No! I haven't gained any excess weight, jerk, only muscle so I'll be able to pitch better!"

The boys eyed each other carefully before taking seats outside the bath, intent on listening to this conversation regardless that it was an invasion of privacy. "Yeah, that sums it up. My senpais? Not all of them are jerks, though a good majority are and some of the other first years."

The quartet jumped when Eijun yowled, sloshing water following the noise. "Li-lo-like!? I'm almost dropped my phone because of you! No! That's wrong; I'm here to play baseball, not find a husband! You sound like Eitoku-jii, Wataru!"

Miyuki looked to Kuramochi curiously, "Is that idiot even capable of liking someone?"

Kuramochi shrugged. "Is it possible that any would like that idiot _back_?"

Kawakami and Haruichi frowned, the latter moving to defend his friend when Eijun's voiced drifted to their ears, softer than before.

"Well, yeah, I guess I've sort of looked…" All four Seidou players could imagine their pitcher right now, shoulders bent forward and hands awkwardly grasped together as she looked anywhere but the source of her embarrassment.

"But, she's naked right now…" Miyuki whispered absently, stirring the imaginations of all of them. Tan, sleek limbs that went on endlessly, a flat, toned stomach that led to two mounds…

"Miyuki-senpai!" Haruichi squeaked, "That's indecent; don't talk about Ei-chan that way!"

"No." Kuramochi said slowly. "She's the indecent one right now."

Kawakami felt his ears go red, the blush extending to paint the rest of his face. How could they talk of their teammate this way?

"My catcher?" Miyuki smirked before being shot down. "No, I have a feeling I'd do anything to gain Chris-senpai's approval as a love interest, I'd drown myself in him to fit his image of a perfect lover."

Kuramochi nearly burst out laughing as Haruichi lunged, muffling his mouth. "Pfft…no…even…sh…con…ers…you…er…catcher!" Haruichi frowned, finally gagging his senpai. He looked over his shoulder, seeing the stricken face of their official catcher and Kawakami awkwardly stuck between perhaps rubbing it in (something he was too kind to do) or comforting the young man.

"Miyuki. Yeah, no. I'm supposed to marry someone I love whole heartedly and that won't drive me to throw myself into Yuiwasu."

Yuiwasu? Kawakami frowned. He could have sworn that was a river near where Eijun was from… He sneaked a glance at the catcher, utterly broken. Ouch. Without even knowing, the only female of their team had taken the resident pretty boy down ten to forty or so pegs.

"Kuramochi-senpai? Tell me, Wataru, if there was a female version of Tokubei from Middle School, would you marry her? No? I thought so. I don't mind people joking with me or necessarily feeling me up, but it's another matter entirely if they just don't have any respect for me. I may not be older or more experienced, but I'm human. Even if it's team dynamics, I don't remember doing anything disrespectful like that to my team as captain."

Kuramochi winced as Eijun continued. "The same extends to all of them sans Kawakami-senpai, Harucchi, Yuuki-senpai, and obviously Chris-senpai."

Kawakami and Haruichi perked up at their names, unexpectedly making the list. "Harucchi is so sweet that I know he'd make any girl happy. And even though he's so small and delicate looking, he's incredibly strong! He uses a wooden bat, Wataru; you _know_ how difficult that is! Harucchi's amazing. I only wish I could be more like him."

Said boy matched his skin tone to his hair, about ready to pass out.

"Kawakami-senpai and Yuuki-senpai are tied, I guess. Kawakami-senpai is utterly reliable, no matter how tough the spot we're in. He's a real gentleman, too, he held the door open for me and doesn't laugh when he sees me in the school uniform's skirt. He just smiles gently and says 'It looks good' to me! That and I think his given name is really sexy and traditional, even Gramps would approve."

Kawakami was ready to pass out, being so highly thought of, until he heard the finishing blow. "Fine…Nnn…_Norifumi_-kun." The heat in his head reached its peak and the poor, shy pitcher passed out, hearing his name said so delicately and…erotically…

Eijun huffed at all the invasive questions from her childhood friend. "Alright, and Yuuki-senpai is strong, taciturn, and respectable in every aspect I can think of. Though, he can be a bit absentminded at times." The pitcher grinned. "I like teasing him when we play shogi. That, and…well…there's something appealing about Yuuki Eijun." She giggled like a girl in love. "Yuuki-san, how's the family? Well, Tetsuya-senpai is doing just fine-"

"Ack, I gotta' go; I talked too long! Bye-bye, Wataru!"

The boys scrambled to get up, Miyuki and Haruichi working to drag their over stimulated relief pitcher away from the scene of the crime and made their escape.

Never again would they listen in on a girl's conversation, not even a controversial girl as their androgynous pitcher. Some things were better off unknown.

* * *

Omake:

* * *

Ignorance was bliss, or it would be if Miyuki hadn't intended to get back at their pitcher for that "I'd rather drown myself in the nearest river than marry Miyuki-senpai." Well, fine, two could play at that game. He didn't want to marry a manly pitcher much, either.

He grinned evilly, shouting. "**Yuuki-san!**"

"Yes?"

"Yes?"

Bingo.

Tetsuya looked to his team's first year pitcher in wonder. "Did you get married, Sawamura-kun?"

Eijun looked ready to die out of mortification. He really was a bit dim in some aspects.

Miyuki grinned, wondering how she would explain her response. Payback. Miyuki was a much better family name anyway.


	5. Strikes - Disabled List (DL)

**Author:** Ri-Ryn

**Chapter:** 5 Strikes – Disabled List (DL)

**Word Count:** 1,343

**Rating:** M* (Content suitable for Mature Teens)/ +T

**Disclaimer:** Diamond no Ace belongs to Yuji Terajima.

**Warnings:** Strong Language/Cursing.

**A/N:** For the PM prompt from **xburner21** who knew exactly what they wanted! As for why I'm updating later than I intended? Well, for the past 2/3 weeks I've been afflicted with 2 different illnesses. A stomach virus my father gave me that included vomiting, diarrhea, muscle/head-ache and a fever. Then my brother gave me a bacterial upper-respiratory infection from his college campus that he contracted and brought back. Then there's some flippy medicine I'm on. (Steroid shots = headache, antibiotics = upset stomach, cough syrup trades relief for being wired during the night, so _**fuck that shit:**_ _I'm so done._)

**A/N #2:** I'm so sorry **justabithungry**; Eijun the unsuspecting assassin in the making has to be put on because for some damn reason her being unable to cook (even though I can practically _taste her failure_) is hard to write. And, even if I have to combine it with another prompt (because I refuse to write some shitty piece just to sweep it under the rug) it will get done. But until then, I apologize. As for the OOC, I'm still sorry since I'm still getting back into the style of this story. My apologies again, since this isn't up to its' usual par.

* * *

5 Strikes – Disabled List (DL)

* * *

Aside from the blaring headache Kuramochi blamed on his teammates, he normally didn't have any issue getting up for morning practice. His roommates, though? Masuko was notorious for toeing the line in being late while Sawamura was a twenty-five percent chance of running laps for tardiness.

Kuramochi jumped from the top bunk stretching and seeing the idiot pitcher passed out on the floor, a light blanket barely keeping in the warmth. He grinned cruelly, knowing she'd being having back pain before delivering a well-placed kick to her side. _That_ would teach her to sleep on the floor so casually. Even if she was an idiot pitcher, she was _Seidou's _idiot pitcher, and that meant she had to take care of her condition.

Eijun grumbled uncomfortably at the harsh treatment, licking her dry lips and shifted, still asleep but unsettling the blanket from her form. Kuramochi clicked his tongue, looking down to find her still asleep… He gave a voiceless yowl, coming to the sight of the young sixteen year old, clad in a thread bare shirt that, if he'd been in a clearer state of mind, he would notice was missing from _his_ closet.

Kuramochi swallowed. He could do this. She was just a young, stupid menace, a younger sister even to the shortstop…

He chanced a glance down and backpedaled, tripping on some careless weights left out by the **cause** of this ordeal. The shortstop swung his weight forward, overcorrecting and careening down hard into a subtle, soft material like skin that smelt faintly like that god awful lotion Eijun borrowed from the managers.

_Cherries, of course_. The second year braced himself to face the music. He felt hands tangle themselves in his hair and _what the hell was she doing-?_ He opened his eyes, his cheek comfortably placed on a tan thigh and face-to-face with a lacy blue and yellow delicacy Kuramochi would've fared better not even fathoming that Eijun owned.

"Erm…cheetah-san~…" Eijun smiled peacefully, further entwining her fingers into her senpai's hair and _**Kuramochi Youichi was **_**fucking **_**done.**_

"WAKE UP IDIOT!?" The second year baseball player bolted up, springing for the door and stepping on the sleeping girl, more than likely losing a few hairs off his scalp he wouldn't be missing and his face the shade of fresh spilled blood if this ever reached the upper classman's ears.

"Guah!"

He slammed the door behind him, leaving behind the waking wet dre… NO, no, he would not go there. Kuramochi rounded the corner, smacking into another player and hearing the telltale voice of the devil.

"What the hell, Kuramochi?" Miyuki growled, fixing his skewed glasses and seeing the flustered teammate in front of him. Miyuki raised an eyebrow, "What's got your panties in a knot?"

Kuramochi spluttered and how could their freakin' bastard catcher already _know_. "Wha-no-neve-sorry-fault!"

Miyuki waited, trying to piece it together. It was morning, Youchi was running _away_ from something, and some word he'd just said set him off… Knot? …Panties?

Miyuki grinned, eyeing the corner Kuramochi came from and he suddenly _got it_. The catcher stood nonchalantly, making a great show of dusting himself off, thumbs in pockets. "I was just coming to get Bakamura up, ya' know, for practice. I'll go wake her."

What he didn't expect was for Kuramochi to lunge for him next, taking the catcher down with him.

"You can't, she's getting ready now!"

"Oh~?" Miyuki flashed his teeth and it clicked for the second year.

"You bastard, you know!"

The two struggled, rolling along the second story walk way.

"Heh, never! I don't know what you're talking about." Miyuki flipped the other player before a hand shot out, grabbing his angle and bringing him back down.

"Chris-senpai will kill you!" Kuramochi felt a fist swipe his cheek and shit that hurt.

Miyuki aimed for his stomach because there was no way he was missing this. Besides. "Not if you don't get it first!" He pushed the other off panting. "Did you get a nice long look, Mochi-senpai?" The catcher sadistically raised his voice, imitating what Eijun would sound like at a moderate volume.

"Shut up! It was an accident!"

"Hah, an accident that lasted ten minutes with the way Sawamura sleeps, admit it!"

"Liar, don't compare me to you glasses-pervert!"

"Ouch, that's really hurts. So, what colors was she wearing, blue and yellow, like Seidou?"

"Wha…? No, I-I didn't see her panties!"

"_Nailed it_. What a _horrible_ senpai you are, Kuramochi, she trusted you!"

"Can it, asshole! I don't want to hear that from _you_ who's trying to see her as she sleeps!"

"I don't have any idea!"

"I think you **both do**. **Would you care to share?**"

The two second years froze, feeling ice chill their veins and glancing up to see Chris, hair still wet in the morning chill and eyes painfully savage, promising nothing but agony.

"I can explain!"  
"I didn't mean to!"

"You mean," Chris said slowly, because they were obviously very, very stupid and would be in much, much pain after he was through. "You _think_ you two have a reason good enough to validate violating Sawamura?" _His _little, precious pitcher. She was still a baby, a naïve one at that in his eyes.

He grabbed both of them by their shirt collars, giving the guard rail to his left a speculative glance. "I," he said with great finality, "am going to teach you two something life changing, from senpai to kouhai."

"_**NOOOOO!"**_

* * *

OMAKE #1:

* * *

Jun kicked at the ground, feeling his captain eye him in question. "Just wondering what the hell's keeping Chris."

Tanba shrugged, answering for their captain. "I think he went to wake up Sawamura-chan."

Jun cursed under his breath. "He babies her too much."

Tetsu nodded in agreement.

"You think so too?"

"Sawamura is a wonderful shogi player."

"That has NOTHING to do with anything, damn it, Tetsu!" Jun paused, ready to continue before hearing the sounds of pleading from the other side of the corner, closer to Sawamura's room.

"Ya' hear that?" Tanba nodded, shrugging forward as the three third years were met with a precarious sight. Chris had Kuramochi and Miyuki dangling off the second story guard rail, content with watching them close to weeping.

"Damn it, Chris, no! Don't do it, put them back!"

Tanba eased towards his friend, stopping when Chris shot him a warning look. "They thought they could spy on Eijun while she slept, something about seeing her in her undergarments."

"What, is that it?" Jun breathed a sigh, figuring that to be the least of their problems. "Let them down man, it's not like they copped a feel or somethin'."

Tanba panicked. "No, Chris, Jun was kidding! Don't put them down _there_." Tanba looked to Tetsu for help.

"Miyuki, too, is good at shogi."

The second years winced. "Captain, just stop talking please!"

Miyuki scrambled for purchase, trying to reach something to grab onto. "Tetsu-san, please don't keep talking, or you Jun-san!"

Jun paled, scrambling for something to calm the third year down with. "I doubt it was worth seeing anyway, Chris, so let it go!"

A pen could've dropped like a bomb, the way Chris' neck and attention turned, vertebrae by vertebrae, to Seidou's outfielder.

Miyuki and Kuramochi swallowed simultaneously, sending a quick prayer for their loudmouth senpai.

"And," Chris punctuated his question, "how would _you_ know that, Isashiki Jun?"

* * *

OMAKE #2:

* * *

"Ne, ne, you're gonna' catch for me today, Chris-senpai!?" Eijun gushed about the third year catcher, ecstatic, too eager to sit still. Kuramochi-senpai had been missing from breakfast and, now that she thought about it, Miyuki Kazuya, the bastard, was too. Eijun's gold eye flitted across the cafeteria, finding Spitz-senpai gone too until gentle hands turned her head back to her meal, patting her unruly brown hair.

"Ah."

Eijun grinned scarfing more rice before the question popped up again. "Where's Kuramochi and Spitz-senpai? Miyuki too?"

"You can throw twenty more pitches than usual, Sawamura." Chris placated, effectively displacing her upperclassman's whereabouts from her mind.

No one needs to give trash a second thought, after all.


	6. Strikes - Time Out

**Author:** Ri-Ryn

**Chapter:** 6 Strikes – Time Out

**Word Count:** 1,238

**Rating:** M* (Content suitable for Mature Teens)/ +T

**Disclaimer:** Diamond no Ace belongs to Yuji Terajima.

**Warnings:** Strong Language/Cursing.

**A/N:** Yeah, letting Ei-chan's mouth run about anything other than baseball can come back to bite anyone in the ass. Err, and after this story Eijun, Kuramochi, and Masuko's room is now permanently named "The Love Nest" in my head, no one can tell me otherwise. And bam, two chapters in a row.

**Prompter:** For **krakenjumper** – People think the worst after Masuko-senpai retires and Kuramochi and Eijun have the love nest all clear.

* * *

6 Strikes – Time Out

* * *

"He's just so lonely without Masuko-senpai now, Kanemaru; I don't know what more I can do." Eijun sighed, pushing her food around in her bento box.

Kanemaru gently scooted back, giving the toxic waste that was her lunch a warning glare. It better stay where it was after the last incidents. "Are you sure, Sawamura? I don't think Kuramochi-senpai was all that affected. It's normal for the seniors to graduate eventually." The blonde sighed. "Why are you bringing this up, anyway?"

"Because he's been _keeping me up __**all**__ night!_" Eijun wailed, catching the attention of what must be everyone in the class room. "I don't think my body can take practice _and_ Kuramochi-senpai both!"

"Oi, Sawamura, shut-up!" Kanemaru glanced behind them, seeing the wolves of their class catch wind of the blood coming in spades from Eijun.

"Oh, you have a 'boy' 'friend', Sawamura-chan?" Matsune, a girl notorious to 1-C for playing around approached, Ootashi and Nanato behind her.

Eijun thought it over. He was a boy, but more senpai than anything else. "Sort of." The girl muttered, looking down at her hands.

Kanemaru groaned as he was ousted from the circle of females, number eighteen surrounded. This would never end well.

"Oh, a toy then?" Ootashi chimed in mock sympathy, the ignorant girl playing into her hands.

"Kind of?" Eijun rolled the thought in her mind. "He's always playing with me after practice, no breaks either. He hasn't let up since Masuko-senpai retired!"

Nanato and Ootashi blushed, never expecting such a "pure" girl to be so…well, not so innocent.

Matsune grabbed for the bait. "Oh, have you asked him to slow down, then?"

Never would Kuramochi-senpai give her any special treatment, even if she was a girl, which included video games, wrestling, and baseball (the former two which he seemed to be taking comfort in now that their third partner was gone). And if there was one thing he brought from the field into his life, it was his pride as the best (self-proclaimed) shortstop in the Tokyo area. Eijun shook her head slowly. "Kuramochi-senpai is proud of his speed. If there's one thing he can do?" Her gold eyes flared in respect. "He can _always_ go _faster_!"

The entire classroom gaped, the three troublemakers lost for words. Most girls, even the slutty ones, had some shame.

Kanemaru slammed his head onto his desk. Truly, she was the blueprint for idiocy. Coach and Kuramochi-senpai were going to **murder** their relief pitcher.

"Have…" This girl had more experience than herself, even. "Have you tried distracting him with someone else, then?"

Eijun brusquely nodded. That had been her first plan. "All the time. I ask Miyuki-bastard-senpai and Zono-senpai to join us in our room a lot."

Ootashi, Matsune, and Nanato choked. They'd had _four _people at the same time!?

"At…at _once?_" Nanato whispered in awe.

_Not for Tekken_. Eijun recalled they still needed another controller since one was lost after the third year's retirement party in their room. "No, we only go two at a time." Eijun smiled fondly, remembering all the fun they had recently at the cost of rest. "I like watching them go at it, anyway. Especially Miyuki and Kuramochi-senpai, they get really into it. It gets pretty hot, actually." Eijun sighed, remembering they still needed to send in a work order form on their dorm's AC. "And when it gets hot, Miyuki gets agitated and ends up biting. Kuramochi-senpai gets loud and rowdy when that happens because it leaves a mark." Their video game tournaments usually dissolved into full out brawls because of her two upperclassmen.

"Oh my god, I wish I could see." Ootashi fanned herself.

"Un, definitely worth watching." Eijun agreed.

Kanemaru inspected the writing utensils available to him at the moment. Which one would end his life faster?

"Sawamura-san…?" Their teacher, Hayase-sensei, croaked. The brunette innocently turned his way, curious. "Can, can I see you in the teacher's lounge, please? I…I'll be right there after I get another student."

"Of course, Sensei!" Eijun happily stood up; humming in the wake of her classroom the tune they played for their Fearless Leader at bat.

* * *

OMAKE #1:

"Sensei?" Kuramochi opened the staff room door, surprised to see Sawamura too, equally stunned at his own appearance. "Sawamura?"

"Senpai?" The pitched parroted, confused.

The teacher swallowed, clammy, and gestured for their school's shortstop to take a seat next to his first year.

"What?" He glanced at Eijun who shrugged helplessly. "What happened?"

"I'm sorry Kuramochi-senpai; I told that you were kind of lonely with Masuko-senpai gone." Eijun shrank into her chair, ashamed she'd betrayed his trust.

Kuramochi blushed lightly, cursing the pitcher for being perceptive when she shouldn't be. "S' fine. Sorry for keeping you up recently."

Eijun smiled, relieved. "No worries, senpai, that's what teammates are for. I'll always have your back."

"…Except in the batting line up."

"Oi, I'm trying to be nice here!"

Kuramochi ignored his roommate's ranting, turning back to the teacher. "What did you need, though, Sensei?"

"Oh." Eijun interrupted. Blushing she added, "I told him about us and stuff."

Kuramochi stared, not following. "What exactly did you say, Sawamura?"

Eijun lamented, recalling her private conversation with Hayase-sensei moments before. "That you've been passing the last restless nights seeking solace in my midnight company, Kuramochi-senpai. And that I'll never turn you away, you'll always have a place to turn to in my bosom."

Hayase-sensei and Kuramochi scrutinized her in disbelief.

He smacked the back of her head. "Idiot! I'm _burning_ every damn shoujo manga you _own_, dimwit! What the hell made you think it was okay to say that, huh? Oi, bakamura!" Kuramochi lunged, struggling and pinning her to the ground in a merciless chokehold.

"Ow! Ow, senpai, please no! I still hurt after last night and practice!" Eijun struggled. "And leave my manga out of it!"

"It's your fault we're in this situation, moron!"

* * *

OMAKE #2:

_*whisper, whisper*_

Miyuki closed his scorebook uneasily, tapping his desk to get the attention of Kuramochi across from him. Said male glared crossly, his unfinished math homework interrupted.

"Why do they-" Miyuki leaned in closer, jerking his head towards the entry way where girls of all grades were gathered, giggling, whispering, and pointing. "Keep watching us?"

Kuramochi shrugged. "I don't know. If Sawamura taught me one thing, it's that girls are weird."

They stared, neither backing down.

"_Do you think they want to jump each other right now?"_

"_No way, it's the middle of the day. Kohai are so naughty now!"_

"_Maybe Kazu-kun will bite Youi-chan if we wait long enough."_

Miyuki sprang away from his teammate, green. "I don't know what this is, Kuramochi, but I'm not getting involved in what weird shit you started!"

"Me!? I bet _you_ started this with your sick sense of humor, bastard!" Kuramochi growled, unsettled. He approached the catcher, ready to beat him.

Miyuki sidestepped, springing for the door. "NO way am I getting involved with you further! Stay back, damn it."

Kuramochi sprinted after him. "It's your fault I bet, fuckin' loser! Pay up!"

The girls whined. "And they were _sooo_ close, too!"

* * *

OMAKE #3:

Tetsu made sure to have both of their attention. "I." He clasped a hand on Kuramochi and Miyuki's shoulder, giving Zono small nod of acknowledgment. "Support you all. Stay strong, but don't let this get in the way of your practice, alright? And ease up on Sawamura; I imagine she's tired, keeping up with three first stringers."


	7. Strikes - Pickoff

**Author:** Ri-Ryn

**Chapter:** 7 Strikes – Pickoff

**Word Count:** 2038

**Rating:** M* (Content suitable for Mature Teens)/ +T

**Disclaimer:** Diamond no Ace belongs to Yuji Terajima.

**Warnings:** Strong Language/Cursing. Sano Kazuhito

**A/N:** If you guys want to see a darker side to Fem!Eijun's life, I recommend the new companion fic of this story, _Joy's Shadow_, now in existence by decree of **Kagari Higuchi**. Now, on to some light hearted humor and romantic failure. Sorry this wasn't as good as usual, even after the long wait. College is really stressful with exams and I needed an escape, so I wrote. I'll try to update my stuff!

**Prompter:** For **HoneyCaramelSwirl** – Some innocent bystander asks for Eijun's hand in a date, which equates to casual baseball for Ei-chan and the beginning of Seidou's rigorous protection and trials for said poor sap. (Not that Eijun doesn't effectively and cluelessly end any future dates for herself, outside of baseball.)

* * *

7 Strikes – Pickoff

* * *

Eijun scooped more rice into her mouth than necessary, eager to get ready for something. For what? Kuramochi didn't know.

He looked on in disgust. I t was the weekend and their day off. What could she possibly be doing that she needed to rush?

"Oi, Sawamura!" the 'girl' peaked up through messily cut, brown fringe, rice grains scattered on her mouth and the table around her. "Where's the fire?"

"Erv fighf fa vacght fadary!" Her gold eyes glowed, pleased with the unintelligible statement.

"That's disgusting. Swallow." The shortstop leisurely sipped from his orange juice as she did so.

"I have a date today!"

"!?" Kuramochi spat his juice straight across the breakfast table into the face of his southpaw roommate.

Sawamura screeched. "Damn it, gross, senpai!" The pitcher gingerly wiped with a napkin, it doing little to help.

Kuramochi ignored her grumblings and his transgression. "_**What**_, with _who_?"

Eijun glared, pissed at the orange juice drying everywhere from her hair to clothes to skin, the sensation disturbingly uncomfortable. "Do you even care?"

Kuramochi cracked his knuckles. "Respect?"

The pitcher pointed to her person. "Yes, senpai?"

Kuramochi winced, giving her that one, and watched as she picked up her tray to leave and get ready.

The shortstop sat dazed after, eyes on the clock numbers of the cafeteria, a bold 8:15 am. Miyuki crept up to the frozen player, calling his name. Said player sat a moment longer before muttering, "Sawamura's got a date."

Miyuki broke. "She _what_?" Another minute. "Does…does Chris-senpai know?"

"No." Kuramochi grimaced. "Not yet, anyway." Their third year had a sixth sense when it came to his baby pitcher.

* * *

0-0-0-0-0-0-0

* * *

The bustling streets of Tokyo barely hid the incompletely inconspicuous group of large, high school baseball players: namely Seidou's regular line up.

Miyuki and Kuramochi cornered Nori and Haruichi for information as the rest waited.

Haruichi shook his head at their questions. "I only know that Ei-chan said she had somewhere to be at nine thirty this morning. She wouldn't tell me anything else."

Miyuki looked to Nori who shifted uncomfortably on his feet, disconcerted. "He's a senpai on the swim team, captain I think. They're supposed to meet at the fountain near the station in the shopping district." The side arm pitcher relayed the information from his friend from in third period math who (with irritation lacing his voice) said his senpai had been swimming on high since Tuesday of that week.

Kuramochi spotted a figure speeding towards their idiot, checking the clock for 9:45 am. "He's late."

Miyuki scoffed at the swim captain as he presented a bouquet of spider lilies accented with blossoming dogwood branches. "There's no way that would work. What does he think he is, prince charming?"

Jaws dropped and eyes bulged as the pitcher turned an alluring shade of pink on tan skin, sweetly reaching for the flowers as a blush further graced her cheeks.

Jun eyed the two, bewildered. "Holy crap, how is Sawamura a girl now?"

"How did that _work_?" Miyuki countered.

"He's good," Haruichi commented quietly. Everyone looked to him for clarification. "Ei-chan adores red spider lilies and dogwood blossoms. He did some digging into her likes," the pinch hitter explained.

Similarly, Eijun was flustered beyond belief. "You-you didn't have to do that Mikoshiba-senpai, really!"

Seijūrō chuckled. "We're on date, Eijun-chan." The captain watched dutifully, knowing he was rushing by using her first name already. "And Seijūrō is fine, too." The young man, all fiery orange hair slicked back and aurelian eyes, held an arm out, going for a western style approach with the excitable first year he planned to spend the day with.

Eijun glowed at the challenge. _I can do this!_ "Osu!" She reached for the offered gentleman's gesture, comfortably fitting into the older boy's side.

Somewhere behind the bushes of the central square, foreheads met palms. Kuramochi inwardly lamented the stupidity of his kouhai. "It's not a baseball game, idiot," the shortstop groaned.

They jumped when a very masculine version of 'osu' answered from the same direction.

"You're kidding me."

No one bothered to contest with Miyuki's statement, but one question was solved.

Ryousuke smiled. "Well, idiots will find others of their own kind, I suppose."

* * *

0-0-0-0-0-0-0

* * *

Ten minutes later found the young sports couple window shopping, mostly at sport's stores, sometimes flitting in for a closer look of the products.

"Do people actually do this on dates?" Miyauchi asked.

"Terrible idea," the catcher replied.

Ryousuke sneered, "Like either of you two have been on a date before." The two spluttered as the third year cut them off. "Come on, Haruichi, if we leave this to them we'll be left guessing their schedule." The elder Kominato grabbed his stuttering brother, positioning themselves at the next sports good's window after the one Eijun and Mikoshiba stood in front of.

Immediately, the pitcher recognized the two, towing her date towards her teammates. "Harucchi, Onii-san! What are you two doing here?"

The elder turned, Eijun already falling into the trap. "I'm shopping for some new batting gloves, and Haruichi needs new bats." He shrugged his brother's shoulder, prompting the pinch hitter to nod along.

"Uh, mhm, they break easily, right, Ei-chan?" Haruichi drowned in guilt as he lied and was met by her smile, shaking her head in agreement.

"So," Ryousuke steered the conversation for the information he wanted. "Who is this that you're touring Tokyo with?"

Eijun blushed, fidgeting. "Ah, this is Seijūrō-senpai. We're on a date today!"

Ryousuke smiled, close but not enough. "Oh, where to?"

Mikoshiba answered, as he was the one to plan this out. "We're going to the batting cages near the school at ten thirty. I figured we could go to that café around the block for lunch after an hour or so." The captain smiled down at her, "Then, I have something special planned at Yoyogi Park."

Eijun smiled happily, squeezing the third year's arm.

Ryousuke nodded, info obtained, and turned with Haruichi. "Well you two have fun, this store didn't have what we're looking for so we'll try in Shibuya next.

The two brother's split away, back to the waiting team.

"We'll being going to Nakami Sports Center, now."

* * *

0-0-0-0-0-0-0

* * *

"Kyahaha!" Kuramochi watched in glee as Eijun tried to hit the ball, the swimmer at the next plate over making more contact than the actual baseball player.

Tanba frowned, knowing she excelled in bunting in exchange for actual hits, a point that still rubbed him the wrong way.

Jun looked around the group. "Hey, where'd Tetsu go?"

Haruichi paled. "The-the cages!?"

Next to Mikoshiba and Eijun stood the third year captain, a batting helmet and gloves adorning his person along with a bat in his hands. The players watched stunned as a steady clang of ball to metal began. Ryousuke glowered, muttering about a different breed of idiots.

Eijun glanced over, stunned to see her senpai. "Leader! It's good to see you!"

Tetsu grunted, hitting an imaginary grounder between third and second.

Eijun sighed. "Good as always." She glared at the bat in her hands. Mikoshiba stopped, seeing she'd stopped enjoying herself when her captain started hitting.

"Eijun?" The pitcher glanced towards him.

"I can bunt…but hitting…" She felt frustration swell at her own inadequacy.

Nori and Miyauchi grappled Chris to the ground, who sensed her distress.

Seijūrō gently walked up, placing his arms around her and helping position her legs and arms. He leaned down into her ear. "That's fine, it's okay. Let me help, okay?" Together they waited, Eijun tensed at the closeness of the swim captain and anticipation of the ball from the machine. It came, a fastball to the low, outer corner. Mikoshiba guided her, swinging just right to make a hit for the outfield. Eijun glowed, flashing her teeth up at the third year who flushed under her eyes.

Miyuki leaped for Chris' back, dragging him back down with the other two before he could slug the man bewitching his protégé.

Kuramochi felt a headache coming on, turning as Masuko tapped his shoulder, pointing where Mikoshiba and Eijun were returning their equipment. He eyed the situation between Chris and Tetsu. "You grab Chris-senpai, I'll get Tetsu-senpai."

Masuko's belly growled in disapproval.

"Yeah, well, I can't stop that." Tanba had joined by now in holding the third year catcher back, who had redoubled his efforts. Kuramochi turned, seeing Mikoshiba walking out with an arm around her shoulders, gritting his teeth. "Come on, Masuko-san, we gotta' catch up."

* * *

0-0-0-0-0-0-0

* * *

By the time they made it to the café and were seated, Chris had been placated and the couple were seated and eating already. They watched, seeing the two laughing.

"What could they even have to talk about by now? They've spent all day together." Miyuki darkly observed them, having become increasingly agitated through the day. Kuramochi almost made a snide comment about ugly jealousy when Eijun had gathered some of her meal in her chopsticks, Mikoshiba doing the same. He leaned forward, taking the offered food before feeding her in tangent.

Glass broke in Chris' hand as the tea spilled over the table top. He placed another full glass in Furuya's hand. "I want straight fast ball down the middle of his face."

Furuya nodded as Nori scrambled to take the potential murder weapon away, instead giving him small paper balls out of straw wrappers. Miyuki joined Chris, instructing Tanba the same way. A flurry of paper rained on the two, many aimed at the swimmer's eyes. Eijun ducked, trying to shake them out of her hair, and whipping around to glare at their corners as menu shields went up to guard their identity.

"Ei-chan…" Haruichi whimpered. She was going to be so upset by the end of the day, what were they thinking!?

Ryousuke guessed what was on his little brother's mind. "Calm down, otouto, they're doing just fine for now?" He frowned at the turn of events, voice simmering. "_See?_" He stressed.

Haruichi glanced over his menu, watching Mikoshiba apologize to Eijun and repeating that he would 'Of course, I'll pay for the meal my lady!' He gently laid his hand on hers, distracting her from the previous mishap.

"Motherfucker." Kuramochi growled. How dare he try to move on her again!

Exhausted, they followed the two out and to Yoyogi Park. Mikoshiba had prepared a pair of mitts and a baseball. Eijun swooned.

Mikoshiba nervously rubbed the back of his head. "I figured I could understand you better, ya' know Eijun?"

Eijun reddened, a tingle traversing her spine with a baseball in her possession. "Thank-you." She whispered it sincerely, shyly catching his gaze up through her eye lashes. "Next time, you can teach me butterfly?"

Mikoshiba felt a second fire light in his heart. "Of course!" He punched his mitt, holding it out. "Now give me your best pitch!"

Miyuki questioned why Chris was calm _now_ of all times when they basically promised to be in increasingly close proximity again, this time with less clothes.

"Because most men won't live _that _down." He nodded towards the grass field.

Seidou watched in escalating anxiety as Eijun raised her leg high, swinging down her arm as her body twisted, adding torque and power to the baseball which slung out of her hand at an unseen release point, straight for the butterfly swimmer.

"Shit."

Chris' lips upturned at the frantic screaming of 'Seijūrō-senpai, please wake up, why didn't you catch it with your mitt!?' in front of them. "If he even remembers what happened. Head injuries are quite nasty, Miyuki."

* * *

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

* * *

OMAKE #1:

"What do you think, Eijun? I prefer speedos since there's less friction. Plus!" Seijūrō held the itty bitty piece of cloth in front of his loin. "I looks dashing on me."

Eijun watched with stars in her eyes. He was so cool! "Seijūrō-senpai, I want to see the superiority of speedos! Try it on!"

He gave a thumbs up. "Of course, only for you Eijun!"

* * *

OMAKE #2:

"In recent news, a murder took place in Tokyo yesterday. The body of a young man, Mikoshiba Seijūrō-san, the swim captain at Seidou Koukou, was found mutilated and disposed of into the northern part of Kanda River, near Inokashira Park in Kichijōji prefecture. His testicles were removed and are currently missing from the remains found."


	8. Strikes - Year of the Pitcher

**Author:** Ri-Ryn

**Chapter:** 8 Strikes – Year of the Pitcher

**Word Count:** 4894

**Rating:** M* (Content suitable for Mature Teens)/ +T

**Disclaimer:** Diamond no Ace belongs to Yuji Terajima.

**Warnings:** Strong Language/Cursing.

**A/N:** Hell yeah, freakin' 2 updates when I should be studying for my lab practical. Masahi is Tetsuya's younger brother by three years in the manga. Warren Spahn is considered one the best southpaws in MLB history.

**Prompter:** For **BluePeanutbutter21 **– Eijun meets the members of Seidou's baseball team for the first time – taking many of their firsts in her wake…?

* * *

8 Strikes – Year of the Pitcher

* * *

**Tanba Kouichirou**

* * *

Eijun watched Tanba finish up his extra pitching practice with Miyauchi, the catcher leaving to properly set down his catching gear in the storage shed. She sighed, startling the ace into noticing her.

"Sawamura?" Tanba looked at him strangely since the first year was unnervingly quiet.

"It's not fair." She glared at where Miyauchi had been crouching previously. "I'll never be able to deliver it as fast as you or Furuya."

Tanba considered the young man, barely out of middle school. Then again, Furuya was in the same boat. Having Sawamura and Furuya both nipping at his heels, he could sympathize with the frustration Sawamura was feeling. "Give it a bit, you're still young. You'll build up your strength in a year." The ace shrugged, uncomfortable with giving advice to his rival yet teammate: an odd combination. "Besides, you pitch to contact, right? There's nothing wrong with that."

Nothing could describe the face Sawamura gave him at that moment.

"Do you really believe that?"

Tanba swallowed in the face of such intensity. Was Sawamura really so unnerved? "Yeah. I think…" He grimaced, but gave in. "You can become an inspiring ace."

Eijun's eyes widened. "Thank-you, Tanba-senpai."

Tanba gave his own grin. "_After _I retire, though."

Eijun flashed her teeth. "I don't know, senpai, you better tread carefully. Because no more worries, I won't let being a girl hold me back any longer." She grinned cheekily, eye closed through the chain link of the bullpen.

"Good, no more inhibitions." Tanba paused. "Girl?"

Eijun tilted her head. "What about it, Tanba-senpai?"

Well, he really couldn't let her down now, could he? Not with her own disadvantage.

* * *

**Miyuki Kazuya**

* * *

"Heh, looks like we slayed that monster together, ne, Sawamura?" Miyuki cackled into his mitt, pleased with pissing off Azuma.

Eijun turned, eyes brimming with the sight of the catcher, _her _catcher if she attended Seidou. She leaped for the other sweaty player, hugging the daylights out of him as he struggled in her grasp. "That was so awesome! Play with me again." Eijun delivered a swift kiss to the cheek in her delight.

Miyuki peeled the over excitable first year off, an uneasy smile in place and panic just setting in to guide his actions. "Whoa, now, Sawamura, I don't swing that way!"

Sawamura backed off, confused. They were the battery and pitching, not batting. She rolled the words once over. "Asshole! I hope you die Miyuki Kazuya!" She ran, embarrassment coloring her face.

Takashima walked up, arms crossed in front of the boy gasping for breath. She sighed. "Do try not to tease her too much, Miyuki-kun."

Miyuki wiped away the tears of laughter. "Ouch, Rei-chan, even if he's a young boy you don't have to call him a sissy. He had guts, if nothing else."

Takashima raised an eyebrow. "That wasn't meant to be derogatory, Miyuki-kun. Sawamura Eijun _is_ a girl." She watched his face fall, a little happy to see the joke on the antagonistic catcher for once.

"Like, like…?" He made a cupping motion at his chest. No-no, Takashima-sensei was kidding, right?

"Yes, Miyuki-kun, like that." She pinched the bridge of her nose.

"Fe-fe-…"

"Female, one hundred percent, yes."

And he'd basically just told her he was gay and she was coming back next year more than likely.

Fantastic.

* * *

**Yuki Tetsuya**

* * *

The third year captain frowned, displeased. While he respected those who worked hard, he didn't like it when they went about it stupidly. So, while admirable Sawamura was lifting on the bench press on his own time, it was not acceptable without a spotter in case things went south. He walked up, caching the bar and putting it on the rests. Watching recognition color the other's breathless face, he cut the first year off before he could speak. "Where's your spotter, Sawamura?"

Eijun blushed, caught. She didn't want anyone to know, _especially_ with how light the bar weights were in comparison to everyone else even if it wasn't the lightest, per say.

"Uhm, on break?"

Tetsuya silently stared him down till the first year broke.

Eijun looked away embarrassed. "It's really light compared to everyone else."

"So you would risk injury, even with a lighter weight? Didn't you want to be the ace?" Tetsuya watched the suitably chastised first year, giving a barley perceivable upturn of lips. "I admire your work ethic. I'll help." He looked oddly at the bar. "Don't pitchers need more core and lower body though?"

Eijun paled. "Uhm, yeah. I've been neglecting my upper body and torso lately, so..." She was compensating for her negligence.

Tetsuya went around, reaching for the first years thighs and feeling them, the amounting sensation of corded leg muscle suitable for a first year. Sawamura squeaked, catching his attention with his hands still on the pitcher's thighs.

"Leader!?" Eijun spluttered.

"What? Your work on your lower body is acceptable." What need was there to be flustered about a progress check?

"Can you please _stop_ then!?"

He gave the young man a blank stare. "Why?"

If possible, Eijun colored even further. "Well, if you don't see anything wrong with it I guess." She gave a shaky laugh. It _was_ nice to be treated as one of the guys, even if that seemed to be synonymous with her other teammates manhandling her every day it would seem.

Tetsuya's hands brushed further up as he removed them from the first year, letting confusion grace his normally stoic persona. It was flat. Flatter than the baseball field. Sawamura squeaked.

"…Sawamura?" He gestured helplessly down in question.

Eijun stuttered under his gaze. "Please take responsibility."

Oh? …Oh… Tetsuya swallowed. "Understood."

When would be a good time to introduce her to his parents and Masahi?

* * *

**Kominato Ryosuke**

* * *

Ryosuke looked down, not sure how to quite process the situation. Somehow the three first years ended up playing Tetris on one of the bunk beds in Miyuki's room, everyone on the team having fallen asleep after a night of fun. Miyuki and Kuramochi slept together in the former's bed while Masuko had claimed the other bunk in its entirety for himself. The rest were scattered on pillows and blankets on the floor.

But that wasn't what caught his interest. No, a blanket had fallen on him near this bunk and he'd gotten up to beat the living daylights out of its occupants. Except, they included his adorable younger brother and an unforeseen obstacle.

Furuya was backed against the wall with arms encircling his rival Eijun's waist unconsciously in his sleep, head buried just under the southpaw's short trimmed hair and the nape of the neck. Haruichi, in tangent, was facing towards Sawamura, both laying an arm on top of each other while opposites became pillows for their heads. Sawamura had trapped both Haruichi's legs in a maze of snakes between his own. Their foreheads touched softly in this Sawamura sandwich, their sleeping puffs of air disturbing pink and brown bangs alike.

Even that wasn't the problem. No, it was that Sawamura was barely clothed in a black Nike sports bra and a pair of spandex running shorts that warranted a scandalous label in their lacking length.

Ryosuke grinned, choosing to lay the blanket over the tight fit and watching their heads disappear a little further under the cover.

He couldn't wait for Furuya and Haruichi to wake up, Sawamura more than likely having found herself in a situation like this in Nagano previously if he had to guess. Till then, they could rest.

* * *

**Masuko Tooru**

* * *

When the dorm door burst open and slammed shut, Masuko figured it was an excited Kuramochi. He hadn't expected Sawamura to storm in, making a bee line for the fridge and a container of chocolate pudding (_his pudding_). The first year violently tore it open, almost hissing at the lid that was just a tad stubborn for the normally patient pitcher. He settled next to the third year watching a drama (a secret from Kuramochi, but with Sawamura's manga tastes he figured it safe).

Masuko turned to scold the first year but froze in the face of blazing eyes and a chocolate smeared mouth, Sawamura's eyes holding a snake like ferocity that filled the five-hole with trepidation.

"**What, Masuko-senpai?**"

The third basemen turned away for his life, where Kōsei-kun currently held a dying Kaori-chan tenderly in his arms on the roof of the hospital, her violin forgotten to the side.

"What *sniff* what the _fuck__**, **_**why** would you die like that Kaori-chan!? You _can't leave him alone again if you brought him back_. Take responsibility, damn it!" Masuko chanced a glance to his side, puzzled at the streaming tears soaking the first years face, some coming to rest in the mostly finished pudding cup. Well, it was an emotional scene.

A few minutes later found Kōsei-kun still unable to play the piano at her funeral.

"Why?"

Masuko grunted, asking the first year to continue.

"Why bother loving at all if we're destined to all die in the end? Heartbreak should just stay a fairytale word in books." Eijun stared apathetically at the screen. "He should've _died_ with her if this is all Kōsei-kun can amount to in her memory."

Masuko shivered, flinching as he stared at the first year, eyes dead to the world as he stood up, disposing of the empty pudding cup. Sawamura turned, beaming at the third year. "I'm gonna' go take a bath now, Masuko-senpai! Bye-bye!"

The door closed.

Yup. Masuko concluded. Definitely a Sawamura-_chan_ if what just happened proved anything.

_That _or it was Schizophrenia.

Masuko ignored the hard pressed question in favor of his triple vanilla pudding.

* * *

**Kuramochi Youichi**

* * *

Kuramochi glared at the amount of laundry he had, which had doubled since Sawamura became his roommate since the damn first year seemed to aim his clothes at whatever laundry basket was closest in the vicinity. He sighed, promising to beat the shit out of the loud mouth when he got back for creating extra work.

Pants; boxers; slider shorts; larger slider shorts (stupid first year's size); bra; boxers; t-shirt; panties; another bra; game uniform; sports shorts; bra…

Kuramochi stopped, staring at the pile of folded clothes that had accumulated. About a fourth of it…was girl's undergarments. And while he would tease Sawamura mercilessly if he had found a porn video of the first years', this? This was a step too far that he didn't want to confront on pain of death, even. The shortstop quit thinking, mindlessly folding the rest and hurrying to his dorm, ready to lay firm rules that the pitcher would be washing the articles of his own fetish.

Sawamura jumped for glee when he came back, arms loaded, and already moving in for a bra before the second year could start.

"Thanks, senpai! I couldn't find any clean ones." Eijun turned, shirt already off over head and Kuramochi caught a certain type of curvature on chest that no sportsman should have under normal circumstances. Nope, he was checking out now, thank you.

Eijun turned, bra on, at the sound, finding Kuramochi passed out on the floor, clothes scattered.

She frowned, bending over to poke at a tan cheek. "Aww, senpai, you ruined all your hard work." Shrugging, she slung the shorter boy over her shoulder, depositing him on her bed and tucking the boy into her sheets. Eijun made her way to the discarded clothes, beginning to refold them before coming across a pair of boxers with flaming baseballs. She contemplated the awesome pair of boxer shorts.

"Wonder if Kuramochi-senpai will let me have them if I trade him something else…?" Eijun set them aside, just in case.

* * *

**Isashiki Jun**

* * *

Jun never liked horror novels or movies, especially with his older sister overriding his tastes with romantic shoujo manga. Thus, finding blood in the bathroom, small scarce droplets leading to a stall, he panicked. "Oi!" He beat on the stall, "Hey, are ya' all right!?"

He heard a startled shuffling inside and hitched breath.

"…yeah…"

Jun frowned. Whoever it was bleeding, was an idiot. There was no way they could be okay. "Open the door!"

A little bit more shuffling. "…no…"

Jun growled, displeased. "Open the door, bastard! Or else I'll knock it in!"

"No, Spitz-senpai! I _can't_."

Holy shit, it was Sawamura and close to tears by the sound of it. "I won't laugh, moron. Tell me what happened."

It was quiet a minute before the first year hesitantly answered. "I started…"

"Started _what_?"

"My…my cycle…?" More shuffling. "I timed it wrong and my pants are ruined. I…I don't have pad either." Sniffling started again and Jun huffed. That was all?

"Hold on brat." In the years with his sister, she had also desensitized him to the monthly plights of woman, stuffing his bags with a pad, spare underwear and extra pair of pants in case she herself ever needed them. He returned swiftly with said items and a plastic bag for the ruined clothing, handing it off like a relay.

"There." The third year growled.

Eijun smiled in the stall, tears drying. She laughed softly. "Thank-you, Jun-senpai." She wiped her face on a sleeve. "_Really_, thank-you."

Jun blushed, stuttering. "Can it you bastard! Just, just take care of it already!"

A soft 'osu' behind the stall was all the answer he got and Jun was stalking out of the bathroom. It wasn't until after school he realized why Sawamura would even be bleeding and **need **those items.

* * *

**Kawakami Norifumi**

* * *

"Sawa-Sawamura-kun!?" Kawakami paused, startled at the sight of the southpaw in a skirt too short for his height and cut blouse of the female student's uniform. The pitcher glowed at the sight of her senpai.

"Nori-senpai!" She bounded to the shorter pitcher. "What are you doing here so late? Did you have classroom duty too? I did. Want to walk to practice together!?"

Nori quaked under the barrage of questions, the uniform still on his mind. "Uh, sure. But, your uniform?"

Eijun glanced down and pouted. "I forgot to do laundry. Kuramochi-senpai's uniform is too small and Masuko-senpai's too big." She gave a bark of laughter. "You should've seen sensei's face when I showed up in the right uniform! I bet he thought it would never happen!"

Nori blushed. "It looks good on you."

Eijun startled in surprise. "Really? Most people say it's odd since I'm so tall and then the muscles and stuff…"

Nori turned even pinker, shaking his head. "No really! It's cute!?"

Eijun flushed prettily. "Well, Nori-senpai is really handsome in the slacks and blazer!"

Both pitcher's stood burning. Eyes observing everything around them, neither capable of speech.

"So?"

"Yeah."

"Practice? Walk?"

"Oh, sure. Together?"

"Un…."

Nori and Eijun started walking, silent for the most part. The steady noise of baseball bats and their teammates shouting increased the closer they got.

"Hey, Nori-senpai?" Eijun studied her upperclassman.

Nori turned, tilting his head. "Yes, Sawamura-chan."

"Ei-chan or –kun is fine." Eijun shook her head, off task. "I've got your back this summer. Let's win it, for everyone."

Nori felt an infectious smile invading his face. "Yeah, let's do that, Ei-chan."

"Race you to the field!" The southpaw darted away, leaving a stunned side-armer in her wake. He picked up the pace, chasing after the taller player.

* * *

**Furuya Satoru**

* * *

Furuya sighed, tired after practice and dying for a soak in the Greenhorn Dorm's bath. He slid the door open, vaguely making out a person already in there. He didn't care though, as long as it wasn't the coach. He made his way to the water, stripping the towel and sliding into its warm caress on his aching muscles.

There was a splash of water and a surprised gasp. "Furuya?"

The native to Hokkaido recognized that grating voice from anywhere, and he cracked an eye open to see the surprised face of one loud mouthed Sawamura Eijun. He grunted.

"Hey, at least answer me properly, damn it."

Furuya finally gave the other boy his full attention, pausing and staring.

"…"

Eijun fidgeted at the sudden silence, more so than before. "What?"

Furuya contemplated what he was seeing a moment longer, clarifying to make sure the steam wasn't tricking him. "Don't they hurt?"

Eijun raised an eyebrow. "Do _what_ hurt?"

Furuya focused towards the boy's chest and the small bumps that crested the surface of the hot water, just barely.

"Oh, those? Not really." Eijun sighed. "Running hurts though, if your sports bra isn't tight enough. And you? Does it hurt _those_ when you don't wear sliding shorts? Kuramochi-senpai complained one time when he forget them."

Furuya shrugged. "Kind of. If you even get on base."

Eijun bristled. "**I** haven't lost to a boy or girl, and I can bunt."

Furuya brushed it off. He had a healthy respect for the opposite gender, so the dig didn't hurt as it should.

"That, and I can last all nine innings, like a true ace, unlike someone else who passes out first heat."

Furuya frowned. Okay, that one hurt, very much so.

Furuya and Eijun huffed, each sinking in silence further into the hot water.

* * *

**Miyauchi Keisuke**

* * *

Kataoka Tesshin had never felt a fear before like he did now. Miyuki had a bad run in with a rival player jetting for home. The limp the former exhibited after the collision had the coach switching the normal catcher out with the third year, Miyauchi, in no time at all.

This being the first time their southpaw had ever lost her catcher midgame, Sawamura became nervous and walked the first batter after the switch. Miyauchi had called a time to calm the pitcher.

It's here things became iffy and had Tesshin sweating. Surely, after half a year on the same team, Miyauchi was in the loop and had a devised a more suitable approach for Sawamura, even if the two rarely paired up for a battery.

The entirety of Seidou's bench and staff held their breath at the ongoing confrontation.

Eijun cowered under the stern gaze of her upperclassman, ashamed. "Sorry, Miyauchi-senpai."

A flash of white and the third year had a hand firmly nestled in the groin of the southpaw, a tentative rub going before he stopped.

The stadium silenced and Tesshin could _feel_ the repercussions lashing his back already, hoping Sawamura wouldn't call sexual harassment or begin anything from sobbing to screaming.

Miyauchi exhaled loudly. "You've got bigger balls than the rest of them. Don't lose 'em now, Sawamura."

Eijun stared, excitement coursing in her with renewed vigor. She slapped a hand onto her teammate's jewels in return. "Right. Don't let them beat you either senpai, please help me send them packing!"

Miyauchi snorted. "Of course." He turned away, making the small walk back to home plate.

"YOSHA! OSU! BRING IT ON!" Eijun roared with fighting spirit.

Miyauchi couldn't help the smirk. This would be a game to remember.

* * *

**Kominato Haruichi**

* * *

Haruichi hummed as he watered the plants, his class and Eijun-kun's assigned to campus clean up today. Eijun was somewhere behind him, flitting about as he helped any and everywhere though most students had a specifically assigned task.

He yelped, something cold as ice sliding down his shirt and whipped around, hose and all. Eijun's cheeky grinned morphed into laughter as his dress shirt soaked through, completely translucent in the midday sun.

Eijun slicked his hair out of his eyes, beaming. "Got ya' Harucchi!" He scrutinized his uniform. "You got me back pretty quickly, Harucchi. You're just as evil an Onii-san!"

Haruichi stood petrified. What had he just done? The pinch hitter scrambled for his blazer nearby, pelting it at the laughing pitcher. "Put that on Eijun-kun!" The pink haired boy was nearly screeching.

"Ow!" Eijun removed the blazer, taking in the petit size. "I don't think that would work Harucchi." Eijun nodded sadly. "Yup, nope. Why, anyway?"

Haruichi flailed. "Because you should! Look at your shirt Eijun-kun, it's completely transparent." He flushed. "_Put it on!_"

Eijun brushed the other's panic off. "It won't fit Harucchi! Besides, I'm not a conter, counter, contoque… You know, one of those people that can do all that bendy stuff!"

"A contortionist?"

"Yeah!" Eijun snapped her fingers. "That." She surveyed the damage a little more closely for her friend's sake. "Besides, I've got Warren Spahn covering me."

"Eijun-kun, you plastered a pro-baseball player onto your under garments and talk like he's here with you."

"I know. Wakana helped me. Nothing's getting past him, so we're all good, Harucchi."

No, no they weren't. This made no sense at all.

* * *

**Chris Yuu Takigawa**

* * *

Chris had his fair share of immature pitchers to guide in his three high school years, even middle school. He was no new face in the ring of immaturity many new pitchers presented and the infamous baseball perversions that happened.

And while Sawamura and he had more than settled their differences, the catcher eternally grateful to the younger man for bring life back into baseball for him, this had been going on for weeks since they made each other's acquaintance and it was ridiculous.

Chris pulled back from their stretching, asking the pitcher to face him and almost balking in the innocent trust the other held for himself. "Sawamura, I think it's time to take the baseballs out of your shirt. No doubt they're hindering your practice."

The first year gave a minute before glaring. "I don't have any baseballs in my shirt. Why does everyone feel the need to keep telling me that?"

The catcher was surprised. The little first year had _never_ raised his voice at Chris quite like this before, and honestly? It made the catcher sad and more than a little frustrated.

"Sawamura." Chris pointed towards the two lumps imitating female parts in the southpaw's shirt. "While maybe funny and passible in middle school, such things are frowned upon here. Especially by rival teams, much less Kataoka-kantoku and Takashima-sensei. They need to come out. Today, now even."

"No." The first year huffed, spinning around.

He didn't. And while professional he may be, Chris was still young and this was beyond ridiculous. He reached around, grabbing both baseballs and earning a gasp from the boy.

Squishy.

Chris backpedaled, landing butt first in the dirt and horrified. "…Sawamura?"

Eijun turned, grinning like madman. "Now, if you had said _softballs_, then yes! Get it, Chris-senpai?" She preened, pleased. "Pretty good, huh?"

"They're soft!" He was hyperventilating by now. "And warm! _Why _for goodness sake!?"

Eijun faced him unimpressed. Sometimes the man she respected was just strange. "Of _course_ they're warm and soft, Chris-senpai. I grew them myself." She inclined her head. "Want to touch them again? Double check?"

"NO!"

Why, why did this first year break not only every one of his boundaries but his morals too!?

"Chris-senpai?" Eijun started crawling towards the spooked boy.

"Sawamura stay right there." He was a horrible man; he should burn.

"It's alright Chris-senpai. You're not the first who fell for the softball joke."

And oh fucking hell, more boys had groped the girl? His baby pitcher? He forced a grimace. "Who, exactly, fell for it, Sawamura?" Yeah, no. This wouldn't happen again on his watch. Those who took advantage of Sawamura were _**burning with him.**_

* * *

**Kanemaru Shinji**

* * *

"Lies." Kanemaru bit out, facing off against the shorter, lighter pitcher. Going off the muscle tone of his legs and arms in comparison to Sawamura, he probably had the more defined abdominals yet the other still chose to fight it out.

"Nope." Eijun glared. "'The essence of a pitcher is their core and lower body'!"

"You definitely quoted that from Chris-senpai!"

"Doesn't matter, it's still true." She slapped a hand onto her stomach, knocking knuckles for a dull thwack that left even he impressed, regardless that he would never say as such.

"Hah, feast your eyes on these, Bakamura!" The substitute third baseman stripped off his over shirt, revealing a nicely defined set of abdominals, the six easily discernable. "Well, you humbled yet, Bakamura?"

Eijun doubled over laughing, the other having obviously underestimated her devotion to Chris-senpai's routine. She religiously followed and repeated the training regiments, saving the old ones for the slightest differences when he altered or created new ones. They were worthy of the gods.

"Watch and weep Kanemaru, the product of a devout Chris-tian!" Ignoring the other face at the horrible play on words, Eijun divested herself of her own work out shirt. "See these? Better."

Shinji couldn't believe it. The stupid moron was absolutely ripped, abdominally speaking. All six partitions were clearly visible, as if they had been carved and stone. And to his regret, there was the slightest peaking, visible on this lighting, of the eighth section coming in. He glowered. "Che, fine, you win."

Eijun puffed up but quickly deflated at his next comment. "Ya' gotta' do something about your man boobs, Sawamura. It's embarrassing, get some real pecs."

"I can't unless these get shaved off by a knife."

"What?" Kanemaru scoffed. "They're real?"

"Yeah."

Well fuck. She was a monster with those abs that put some of the upperclassman and second string to shame. Fair game.

* * *

**Takashima Rei**

* * *

Takashima watched the girl try on the binder, checking for security and tightness. Out of all her years, she'd never met a boy as determined as one Sawamura Eijun to _win _it all. But…

"Sawamura-kun?" The girl gave a noncommittal grunt that she was listening as she fiddled with the clasps. "Why didn't you quit? Most girls, even if they start out like you, become managers or join softball. Why didn't you?"

Eijun paused, refusing to look at the teacher and instead out the window to the field, her field. "Well, Gramps, Dad, and Mom really taught me one thing, 'Don't give up. Fight.' Even if I was left out on little league teams and I had to hide my gender to play pickup games, it didn't curve my dreams, it made me seek them out more." She felt her throat tighten. "So what if I was a girl? If I didn't last, it was an easy win since I would be a downer on the team. But if we won? If I strike them out?"

Eijun turned, a fire alight in her gold eyes, frown in place. "You can't cheat with pitching. If they struck out it just meant they didn't have what it took, not me." She observed the teacher. "And can one really lie in face of such an earnest player if you love baseball?"

* * *

**Kataoka Tesshin**

* * *

"You still want to play? I don't want to get your hopes up, Sawamura. We scouted you on accident since we thought you were male. Do you still want to continue?" Kataoka observed the girl: short, choppy hair she probably had done herself for years now, tanned skin other girls would gawk at even without the decent five foot nine stature and hefty muscle the girl had honed to the best of her abilities without a coach. Honestly, even if she tried switching to softball, baseball was too ingrained already; fifteen years of determination, sweat, blood, and what he imagined as jeering. Would she continue or give up now?

"I want to keep going."

"It won't be easy. You'll be expected to keep up. No, surpass the boys even. I won't go easy on you or anyone else here."

The scorching glare she dared direct at a teacher, her future even, spoke volumes of its usage, of its own honing. She wanted to sear the man in front of her, give him a sight he would never forget. "Baseball isn't for the weak, Kantoku. I _know _that _better_ than anyone else here. Let me prove it. If I don't, drop me, ship me back to Nagano." Her eyes flared.

Send her back to Nagano if he dared, he surmised.

"Then let me welcome you to Seidou. Work hard, train hard. I expect you to-"

Eijun interjected herself before him. "Learn today. Devote every moment." She closed her eyes, smirking. "Because victory comes to those who fight for it, that earn every damned point."

"Ah." Not this girl, this pitcher, Sawamura Eijun, would earn her place. He could feel it. "Welcome to Seidou, Sawamura."

"Yes sir!"

* * *

OMAKE #1:

The team watched as Sawamura danced around Tanba, questions firing left and right and wondering when the two had become so close. Tanba answered with a patience not usually found outside of pitching, patting her hair and giving her a candy from his pocket.

Eijun beamed, skipping along with the ace happily to the dining hall.

"That's unnerving." Miyuki commented.

"Agreed." Kuramochi couldn't believe the anomaly she was.

* * *

OMAKE #2:

"I don't swing that way!" Miyuki uneasily extricated himself from the young boy.

What was with that weird look in his eyes? Don't tell him the pitcher would start crying after being rejected? Men just weren't his thing.

Eijun nodded. "That's okay Miyuki-senpai. I understand. One of my friends in Nagano is the same way." She grinned. "Oh, don't you think the black haired senpai over there is cute?"

Miyuki glanced over. "Tetsu-san?"

"Yeah, him. He's a keeper. Oh, then again the green haired one would suit you too." Eijun bumped shoulders with the catcher. "Whoever it is you have your eye on, I've got your back. Yosh, try to make some progress and introduce me to your boyfriend next year, Miyuki-senpai!"

She started jogging back to Takashima-sensei as Miyuki stared numbly.

Oi, oi, he just said he wasn't gay, what was that crazed fruit loop misunderstanding here?

"I like girls!" Miyuki shouted after the younger.

Eijun turned halfway. "That's not what you just told me!"


End file.
